Develop a DevOps branching strategy to promote efficiency

A branching strategy can help make an organization's DevOps process more efficient by tracking and managing project tasks. Discover how to create one.

Stephen Bigelow

Jun 22, 2022 • 9 min read

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DevOps

Software

Software Architecture

Change Control

Code

Summary

Just as a tree spreads into an array of individual branches, each leading to a unique leaf, a software project splits and proliferates into myriad different versions as it develops. A branch is a point of divergence as well as a copy of the codebase at a given point in time. Developers or IT teams can work with branches to accomplish necessary tasks, such as bug fixes or new features, without affecting other branches or the main codebase. Organizations can establish branches for any purpose, but there are generally five major use cases for branching well-detailed in the article.

Takeaways

A branch is a point of divergence as well as a copy of the codebase at a given point in time. Developers or IT teams can work with branches to accomplish necessary tasks, such as bug fixes or new features, without affecting other branches or the main codebase.
The value of DevOps and other CI/CD paradigms lies in experimentation, rapid changes, trial and error, and efficient testing -- tasks that can take projects in exciting new directions.
Version control is key to any DevOps pipeline. Software evolves quickly as numerous developers work on frequent iterations. Repositories demand careful management to track and manage code changes properly. Otherwise, the project spirals out of control as developers struggle to find the right components for a build.